Syria has banned the import of beef from Japan, where a second case of mad cow disease was confirmed on Wednesday, November 21, Ath-Thawra newspaper reported. The official daily said Japan has been added to an agriculture ministry list drawn up in early 2001 of countries hit by bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease.

Since the first case of BSE in Japan was diagnosed in September, at least six other countries -- the United States, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan -- have banned Japanese beef. — (AFP, Damascus)